A God's Resolve
by Nuifi
Summary: Dealing with the aftermath of everything that occurred with Ebisu, Yato yearns to exist for a different cause. However, the world does not like working in accordance to Yato's own wishes and soon the god finds himself in a grave situation that could mean life or death for him and the ones most important to him. (OT3 FIC)
1. Gone Again

"I want to be a god that makes people happy!"

Yato remembered the very moment those words slipped out of his mouth. It was a vivid memory, one that he mentally relived countless times. They were words that he wanted to never forget—they were a promise to himself. He feared what would happen if he forgot those words. If he broke his own promise, Yato knew he would go back to being a god that only brought death.

Killing people was something Yato never wanted to do again.

After all the events that arose regarding Ebisu—Yato winced thinking about the name, his death and reincarnation still so recent—Yato didn't want to slay anyone anymore. He wouldn't put Yukine through such a task, and he released Hiiro who had always been reliable for such deeds. It's been said before that a god can do no wrong, but how could he touch the shrine Hiyori lovingly made for him with blood-stained hands? Could he really stay by her side if he killed other humans?

It wasn't just that. Yato didn't want to be remembered for slaughtering whatever he was told to. Not when his regalia sacrificed his life and changed in order to protect Yato. Why would anyone change form to protect a god that brought calamity?

"Yato?"

Yato had forgotten he was at Kofuku's. His mind had been engulfed by thoughts to the extent where everyone in the room faded and all he saw was darkness. Hearing his name called, the shadows began to dissipate.

"Yato!" Hiyori repeated. Her eyes bore into Yato's, and he noticed the frown on her face. The moment they made eye contact, Hiyori let out a breath. "Are you alright? You were kind of spaced out there."

He jolted up out of his sitting position, his body rigged from the sudden disturbance. Recalling that he was still at Kofuku's place, he took a quick scan of the room. No one else was there except for Hiyori, who was looking at him with concern.

"Oh, sorry, I must have been daydreaming," he said lightly, scratching the back of his head nervously. Then, Hiyori maneuvered herself to get a better look at the god's face. Yato slightly moved his head back as he felt his cheeks heat up.

After staring at him for a few moments, Hiyori pulled away and sighed. "Well, I was just saying I was about to head out, since it's almost sunset."

As she began to head out Kofuku's front door to say goodbye to the others, who were loitering in the yard, Hiyori stopped herself and turned on her heels to face Yato again. Her eyes looked a little glossy and pensive. "Yato, get some rest, okay?"

With that, she gave a small bow and exited Kofuku's place, exchanging farewells with Kofuku, Daikoku, and Yukine. Yato watched from inside as she gave a smile to the trio outside and began to disappear in the distance, but not before giving her head a slight turn to look back at Yato. He quickly diverted his gaze, not wanting her to think he'd been staring at her.

Once she was gone, Yato retired to the attic room he shared with Yukine, and sat on his on makeshift bed, crossing his arms behind his head.

 _Get some rest, huh?_ He thought to himself. Truthfully, he hadn't rested ever since the incident with Ebisu, and he inwardly winced again. He turned to his side and looked at the opposing wall. Ever since then, his mind was constantly overflowing with various thoughts and emotions, the emotions caused by Ebisu's death. He visited the new Ebisu often and enjoyed the company, but it was painful as well. Though he could sit and eat with Ebisu at the past incarnation's favorite restaurant, Yato knew that it wasn't the same Ebisu.

Despite the optimistic outlook he tried to have, the Ebisu he was with in the underworld had died. Even if a new Ebisu was born, the previous one's existence was no more. The deceased god would never again see the world with his own eyes.

Yato couldn't even fulfill the god's dying wish.

Ebisu wanted to bring happiness to others. Ebisu wanted to eat at the Olive Tavern once more. Ebisu didn't want to die. Yato couldn't even fulfill that wish.

Yato clutched his sheets tightly in his hands as he scrunched his eyes and quivered, fighting back tears. The emotional pain began to feel like a physical ache in his chest and tightness in his throat. He raised an arm to cover his eyes as a few stray tears slid down his face, and then drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Yato walked along the street bouncing a single 5 yen coin in his hand. "That was the easiest job I ever had!" he said with a smirk, continuing to throw and catch the coin. He then clasped his hand securely around the coin as his grin faded. "Though, it is a bit degrading for a god to do chores."

He instinctively awaited a quip of some sort from Yukine, but then remembered he didn't take his regalia with him. Kofuku was showing him something, and Yato didn't need a weapon to do chores anyway, he just needed to fold some clothes and move some laundry. Recently, Yato hadn't been picking up small jobs that didn't necessarily require the aid of a god, but he wanted something to do rather than sit at Kofuku's all day.

As Yato continued his journey back to Kofuku's, a strange feeling ran down his spine. The movement of people walking by seemed to slow as Yato looked around. He was being watched. By who? He had no idea.

 _Why does this crap happen when Yukine's not around?_

Aware that he was without his regalia, Yato quickened his pace, trying to hurry back to Kofuku's house. He didn't want to bring trouble, but that was the only way of obtaining Yukine. Hopefully he could handle whatever was pursuing him with his regalia.

Before he knew it, Yato had broken out into a sprint, making it aware that he had noticed his pursuer. Wind ripped through his hair as he weaved through the meandering crowds of people. He'd take a quick glance back every few moments to see if he could spot whoever or whatever was chasing him, but to no avail.

The crowds started to thin out as Yato got farther and farther away from the busiest streets. For one last time, he glanced behind him and found nothing. It was when he turned his head, that's when he saw something.

"Smells nice."

It was huge and too close to dodge, and Yato simply braced himself for impact as the phantom raised one of its appendages and slammed it down on the ground. Yato choked as his back braced with the hard ground, his body reeling in pain. Before he could even think about moving, the phantom wrapped one of its limbs around Yato's leg and sent him flying into a nearby wall and then crashing face down.

The only thing Yato registered before succumbing to darkness was the sight of two black boots making their way towards him. Then, Yato closed his eyes.


	2. Masked God

Consciousness slowly came to Yato, the first thing he registered was the remaining ache in his back. His eyes moved behind his eyelids until they finally opened, taking in the sight of his blurry surroundings. Once he could clearly see his environment, he noticed the faint pressure he felt curling around his wrists—he had been tied to a chair.

Luckily, the rope did not make direct contact with his skin, whoever tied him up simply wrapped around his track suit's sleeve. Still, it kept him bound tightly to the arms of the chair. His feet, unlike his arms, were left alone and freely touched the concrete ground below. He planted them firmly below and lifted the chair awkwardly by pulling up his arms. Hunched over with the weight of the chair pushing down on his arms, Yato headed for the exit—it appeared to be a door frame but the door had been ripped from the hinges.

"So, the god of calamity is finally awake?" snickered a voice. Yato froze and furiously turned his head from side to side, looking for the voice's source. He found nothing in the current room—it was empty besides him and his chair. Yato took a single step forward towards the exit but never progressed farther.

A figure stepped into the room, clad in a black yukata and a demon mask that disguised the figures face. Before an introduction could be made, Yato zoomed towards the figure and shifted his entire weight so the chair would smack right into his kidnapper.

"I'm really tired of all this kidnapping bullshit," Yato snarled, looking down at the fallen figure before stepping over them. Just as he passed the door frame, Yato felt something tight wrap around one of his legs, tripping him and causing him to fall painfully on his side. He had closed his eyes before falling, and when he opened them, he was greeted by the same sight before—a pair of black boots walking towards him.

The pressure around Yato's ankle disappeared. Yato smirked, trying to hide the trepidation that coursed through his body as the figure approached him. One thing that calmed him down was that his kidnapped was a walking fashion disaster—a robe and black boots? Who dressed the guy? He let out a snicker, earning a response from the man.

"I would not be laughing if I were you," said the man. He grabbed Yato's hair and forcefully pulled him up into a sitting position only to later toss him farther into the room. He was grateful for not falling back onto the hard concrete, his body still sore from the previous quarrel.

"So," began Yato, directing his harsh gaze towards the eye hole of the man's mask, "what is it that you want?"

It wasn't that Yato would comply with the man's wishes, but he wanted to find out more about his current situation. He already knew the man was a god or spirit of some sort as he could see Yato, and he came to the conclusion that the man could also manipulate phantoms.

The man was silent, then let out a light chuckle. "Right to the point, I see. My name is Aruko, and I am a god that brings devastation just like yourself."

 _Please tell me this guy isn't another Rabo._

"Really? Based on your appearance, I was thinking you'd be a god of bad life choices," quipped Yato. That earned a punch to his face from Aruko. It stung, but he'd felt worse before. If the man had been using phantoms to get what he wanted, Yato could only assume he wasn't the best fighter. However, he still had phantoms to worry about and he was without his regalia.

"I suggest you refrain yourself from making such remarks, Yaboku."

Yato felt his body go rigid from hearing his real name. Fear pooled in his stomach, but he shook it away—now wasn't the time to get scared. Other Hiyori and the others that were there when Yato returned from the underworld, only his father and Hiiro—Nora now, he supposed—knew his actual name. Was this their doing? Was this punishment from releasing Hiiro, or was this his father attempting to use Yato again?

With Aruko's face covered, Yato could only tell how the other god was feeling from the tone of his voice and body language, so when the god let out another chuckle, Yato knew Aruko enjoyed this.

"It's quite simple what I'm doing."

In a split second, Aruko was right in front of Yato, and he maneuvered himself closer to Yato's face. He then grasped tightly on Yato's restricted arms, and bent down until his mask was eye level with Yato, who was pushing his head as far away from Aruko as possible.

"I want to see what happens when a god dies."

The words that fell out of Aruko's mouth stabbed into Yato's chest, as his mind took him elsewhere. He was back with Ebisu—the older Ebisu that begged for his life before his body completely shattered. He was back to when blood went flying in the air and covered Yato's face as he stood in shock. The death of a god was something Yato never wanted to witness again, and now it was implied that instead of a witness, this time Yato would be the victim. Still, something felt off.

"Then why bother capturing me?"

Aruko tipped his head to the side, then backed away from Yato. "I'm a god of devastation—calamity—where would the fun if I offed you then and there?" he asked. "I think it would be a lot more entertaining to make you wish for your own demise."

"If that's what you want, you're just wasting your time. I have no intention of dying!" barked Yato, glaring at Aruko. At the very least, the man wasn't planning on killing Yato right away, but had some sort of plan. Hopefully by now someone noticed Yato was missing, but he was unsure of how much time had passed since he had been unconscious.

Aruko shook his head and let out a sigh. "Don't worry about that, that's why I'm here."

Pain coursed through Yato's body as two phantoms chomped on an arm and leg of his, spreading blight to the respected areas and causing him to bleed. Yato choked back a scream, knowing it would be what Aruko wanted, and tried to ignore the searing pain that pulsated through him. Suddenly, Yato heard a snap and the two phantoms retreated behind Aruko, who had his two fingers touching each other.

"You see, Yaboku, I'm going to break you to the point where you will be begging me to end your life."

* * *

AN: _Sorry for the late update! I left for Disney the 26th and just got back so I wasn't able to upload anything, but was able to see all the love this has received so far from my email! Thank you all for your support!_


	3. A God's Greatest Secret

Yato wanted nothing more than to return to Kofuku's and see Hiyori and Yukine again.

His upper body felt like a heavy weight that required support despite he the fact that he was sitting, and he used all his strength to keep himself from sinking into the chair. Yato's head had fallen forward with his chin tucked near his chest and face obscured by the god's dark hair. Blight had viciously spread across his body due to the onslaught of phantoms, and alongside the disease existed the numerous wounds Yato had received from the same source. None of them were deep—just superficial cuts—but the sheer amount of wounds coupled with the blight took a toll on his body. He'd been wounded and blighted before—hell, the ablution with Yukine brought him to the brink of death—but this was different.

He was all by himself.

A sudden splash of cold water sent a shiver down Yato's spine, causing his body to uncurl itself. Then, he noticed the absence of the pain. It was purified water.

"Can't have you succumbing to blight," said Aruko, grabbing another bottle of what Yato assumed to also be purified water. When the water was once again doused on him, his assumption was correct. With the blight purified, Yato felt his body relax. Air found its way back into his lungs and his chest no longer felt heavy, and his entire body no longer shook in pain, the only pain remaining being from his various wounds. They weren't as easy to get rid of as blight, so Yato guessed Aruko wouldn't even bother.

"That's funny," coughed Yato, finding his voice. The purified water had been the only kind of liquid Yato had seen in days. "I thought you were trying to kill me."

Aruko gathered the now empty bottles and put them between his arm and chest, only to shake his head. "I've already told you the circumstances on which you shall die, I won't repeat them again."

"And I've already told you I'm not going to kick the bucket!"

With his free hand, Aruko touched the side of his head not covered by the mask and let out a sigh. "After all this, you're still so stubborn. What reason do you even have to live?"

In a flash, Aruko advanced in front of the wounded god and shoved his masked face in Yato's own, and blue eyes met with the black slits of the mask. "You're a piss-poor god of calamity, I've seen the idiotic jobs you've been doing. Gods like us, if we don't fulfill our own duty by bringing misfortune to others, then we might as well just stop existing."

Aruko didn't retreat back, instead he kept staring at Yato through his mask. The latter god didn't break eye contact either, his own eyes shaking and his mouth slightly open. He had been frozen where he sat, but then shook his head, knocking himself out of the trance.

"I'm not a god like you."

Aruko tilted his head in confusion.

"I'm not a god that brings unhappiness to others, not anymore."

A howl of laughter shook the room as Aruko's body flailed about. Yato grimaced as the other god's body shook with laughter until he finally regained composure. In a sudden moment, Aruko grasped Yato's face with his hand-his thumb on one cheek and the rest of his fingers on the other, with Yato's chin smooshed by the skin between Aruko's thumb and index finger—and gave Yato a once-over. The restrained god tried to pull away from his grasp, but Aruko kept a tight hold on him, his fingers uncomfortably digging into Yato's cheek.

"Then what the hell do you think you are?" snarled Aruko. He lowered his grip to Yato's neck and then easily tossed both him and chair across the room. Yato winced as his shoulder collided with the unrelenting concrete below as well as the uncomfortable movement of the chair still tied to his back. Before even glancing up, Yato knew Aruko was heading over from the sound of footsteps, and soon he was grabbed and lifted by his hair.

"Stop spewing bullshit, you're a god of calamity! And a disgraceful one at that! I'm glad that stray told me about you, there's no one else I'd rather do this to."

 _Stray?_ thought Yato through the pain. Agony was searing through his shoulder from being tossed like a rag doll, and colliding with concrete only upset his wounds. But, he paid attention to Aruko's words. _That's how he knows my real name! Nora is one of his regalias!_

"She must have been furious about me releasing her, so she set you up to this," began Yato, "but I never really thought she would."

Aruko shook his head, then dropped Yato back onto the ground. "She told me of you, so she piqued my interest. I decided to observe you, as a fellow god of calamity, and was astounded by what I saw. Honestly, you're nothing more than stain."

Yato glared at Aruko with an unwavering fixation while gritting his teeth. Aruko then backed up near the room's entrance, crossing his arms behind his back as he began pacing back and forth contemplatively.

"I mean," began Aruko, ceasing his pacing, "how does a god of calamity get a blessed regalia? How did you fool such an innocent-looking boy?"

Yato felt his heart beat within his chest, each beat like a tremor within his body. It felt like the world was silent except for the sound of a quick breath he drew in and refused to let out for a few moments. The bastard knew about Yukine, he probably knew about Hiyori, too!

"Stay away from him!" growled Yato, making sure to say "him" instead of "them", given the chance that Aruko was still oblivious to Hiyori's existence.

Aruko snickered and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, you're the only one that's here. Though, you shouldn't fret in the first place. You have no need for a blessed regalia—they're only objects. Just tools used to get the job done—you have no need to pick a favorite, right?"

Yato held back another outburst, Aruko was simply trying to get a reaction from him. Despite knowing this, Yato couldn't ignore the anger seething inside of him. It showed in his twitching hands and glaring eyes, even if he kept his mouth shut. Yukine could be a brat, Yato knew this, but he was a kid! Even though Yato wasn't always the best guardian for the kid, Yukine still sacrificed himself during Yato's fight with Bishamon. He was the first regalia to ever do such a thing for him, and yet here there was a bastard that had the nerve to call Yukine a tool.

Skewering Aruko sounded great to Yato, but he was confined and weakened, not to mention without his regalia.

"Such a loyal kid deserves a reward, don't you agree? How about you tell me it—you know, what we call a 'God's Greatest Secret', hmm?"

Yato ignored the ache that still encompassed his body and sprang up, chair still tied to him, and began to advance towards Aruko. He limped slightly with each step—the phantoms really liked gnawing on his legs—but kept his eyes fixated on Aruko's mask. He wanted to tear the damn thing to shreds.

"Back off," he growled, still trying to close the distance between him and the other god. Aruko let out a slight chuckle, then rested his face on his open palm, feigning a pensive look. "I'm not a moron, I know what happens if you tell a regalia about his or her past life."

"Oh, really? What happens?" asked Aruko, mirth laced in his voice as he feigned ignorance. Just as Yato was about to reach Aruko, he was jerked back into the room as phantoms began appearing left and right. Some looked like wolves, and others looked like phantoms Yato had faced before but smaller. Regardless of appearance, they beleaguered him and Yato screamed from the pain of his own flesh being torn into along with the searing agony of blight spreading through the surface of his body.

The phantoms surrounding him vanished, but Yato struggled to see anything. His eyesight was blurry, the only thing his eyes could slightly focus on was a figure in the middle of the room—Aruko. Yato watched as the man came closer and closer, only for black dots to begin filling his field of vision.

"I'm going to take everything from you," said a voice. Yato thought it was Aruko, but his eyes felt heavy and his mind became cloudy. "I'll take away your regalia and whatever else you hold dear until there's nothing left. And then, once you lose your will to live, I'll take your life."

Everything hurt. Yato could hear words, but he didn't know if they directed towards him or someone else. His body was beginning to feel numb, and he heard one last thing before blacking out.

"That is what it means to be a god that brings nothing but unhappiness."

* * *

AN: _Hi guys! I just want to say thank you again for all the kind feedback this fic has been getting! It means so much to me as a person who actually aspires to be a writer of some sort in the future._ _( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ_

 _Also, "A God's Greatest Secret" is something from the Noragami Manga, so if you want to know what it means and haven't read the manga (SPOILER!SPOILER!) the secret is basically a regalia's real name.. So, Yato's version of this would be Yukine's name. It's quite scary what happens when this secret comes out._


	4. Missing

Typically, when Yato thought back to happy memories, they filled him with a sort of nostalgia that revitalized him. Now, recalling the past times he spent with Hiyori and Yukine brought him a sense of pain and longing—he could feel an ache in his chest when he thought of their smiles. It was all due to his own uncertainty as he sat in the dull room he'd been confined in, due to the fact that Yato hadn't the slightest clue whether or not he'd leave alive. Aruko had tried to convince the younger god that if he simply complied with the masked god's wishes, that Yato would walk free.

Yato didn't need to see Aruko's eyes to know he was lying.

Time felt like an almost abstract concept to him. The god knew he hadn't been kidnapped for too long, not more than a week, but everything else was a blur to him. Yato was unsure of how much time passed between each interrogation session with Aruko. His mind would derail after enough blight was inflicted on his body, then he would gain awareness once the cool water relieved his aching form.

He was already undergoing one of the sessions.

"Just a name," rang Aruko's voice through the room. His figure was blurry to a wounded Yato, but the god's words still reached him. "That's all I need—a name."

Yato didn't respond, causing Aruko's form to draw closer and become clearer to him. "Your regalia hasn't even come to rescue you yet, so don't be so stubborn. Is he really worth all this pain?"

"He likes to be fashionably late," said Yato with a smile, but had a bitter edge to his tone directed at Aruko. Talking caused a slight ache in his chest, but Yato did his best to ignore it. Instead of silencing himself, he lifted his head up. "Also, he's put me through worse before," continued Yato, remembering the ablution, "So I think I can handle this."

Aruko let out a sigh and rolled his head around—Yato guessed he rolled his eyes behind the mask. "If he has previously blighted you, why waste your time protecting him?"

Yato let out a weak chuckle, causing his aching chest to hurt. "Because he would have done the same for me."

Aruko did not reply. He turned on his heels and left the room, leaving Yato to himself. The confined god let himself relax in his chair, taking in deep breaths as his body suffered from blight and other wounds that had not yet healed. He mentally told himself to just hold on, Aruko wouldn't keep at this forever. Of course the aforementioned god would try to convince Yato that he would, but Yato knew Aruko would eventually grow tired of the situation.

As Yato sat by himself, a small sting hit his neck, and his head jerked forward. It wasn't painful—just a small pinch. The feeling that had stung him was one Yato easily recognized—worry.

"Yato hasn't been back for three days?" asked Hiyori, although her question had been previously answered. Yukine looked up at her gleaming eyes, and gave a short nod. They were currently at Kofuku's residence, with Kofuku and Daikoku inside while Hiyori and Yukine conversed in her yard. The entrance to her house was open, and when Yukine glanced over, he could see the two gathered in the center of the room, silently listening.

The news just recently hit Hiyori. She had been at school since her last visit and Yukine didn't want to bring up stressful news to her, knowing the girl had mentioned upcoming tests. However, when Hiyori came to visit, Yukine could not hold the truth from her.

"I'm sorry," muttered Yukine. He kept his eyes fixated on hers, trying to seem as sincere as he felt. "I didn't want you to worry, and I thought he'd show up by now. Yato goes out sometimes, but the last when he went out for days …"

His voice trailed off. Hiyori already knew what he was going to say. The last time Yato vanished for a prolonged amount of time was when he was trapped in the underworld. Three days was not a lot of time—Yato wasn't a missing child—but Yukine felt could not shake the uneasy feeling within him. If Yato was in danger, the god was without a weapon.

When Yukine redirected his gaze back to Hiyori, he noted the troubled and pensive look on her face. Her finger was curled and rested on her lips as she gazed down at nothing in particular.

"Did he say anything to you?" asked Yukine, causing Hiyori to snap out of her trance. She looked at him with wide eyes, then a somber look took its place, and she gave a slight shrug. With her hands clasped together, she began to speak.

"Not really," began Hiyori, "but I noticed he was upset about something last time I saw him. I think it was about Ebisu, but I'm not sure. I just know something was troubling him."

Yukine had noticed Yato had been a bit down, but Yukine also knew the god would get upset over trivial things such as not being able to go to Capypa land, so Yukine just ignored it. Yet at the current moment, he pondered on if maybe Yato had disappeared because the god had a lot on his mind.

When he voiced this conclusion of his, however, Hiyori disagreed.

"He wouldn't tell me that anything was wrong," she explained, "so if he was trying to keep his feelings secretive, why would he vanish, knowing that his disappearance would gain our attention?"

Yukine let out a sigh, and supposed she was right. With that, the uneasy feeling came back: if Yato didn't leave out of his own free will, then there had to have been an incidence of some sort. He wondered if maybe Nora had something to do with it, maybe out of spite for Yato. He hoped that such a thing wasn't the case—that girl made him feel on edge due to how unpredictable she could be.

Realizing that simply thinking would only get him so far, Yukine decided he would speak to Kofuku—it was possible she had ties with someone that could help out. As soon as he shifted his body towards Kofuku's house, a strange feeling shot through him.

A familiar voice carried through the air—it sounded authoritative but also gentle.

"Sorry for intruding, Kofuku," said Bishamon, though her voice lacked sympathy, "I'd like to talk to Yato."

* * *

Another update, sorry these chapters are so short (;´Д`)! I've been a bit busy and wanted to upload this before I had to go to practice tonight. It's a lot easier for me to have short chapters so I can update more frequently, as I'm also working on my own stand-alone novel. Not only that, but I've been trying to finish up my college applications. Anyway, thank you all for your kind comments.

Bishamon is finally here-don't worry she's not here to attack Yato, I just needed to introduce her! Thanks for reading!


	5. What Cannot Be Forgotten

While Bishamon was no longer an enemy, Yukine would be lying if he said the god of war didn't intimidate him. At the current moment, he observed as a confused look appeared on Bishamon's face—she probably had latched onto the uneasy atmosphere permeating Kofuku's place. Gaining no response, her brows furrowed and eyes glanced around until landing on Yukine, causing the young regalia to recoil. It wasn't that Bishamon wore a menacing look, but Yukine knew what she was capable of. He recalled when she had been almost consumed by blight and how she continued fighting.

"Something's going on," Bishamon said finally, resting a hand on her hip, "and I can only assume it's relevant to Yato."

Yukine swallowed, but then shook himself out of his trance. Bishamon wasn't an enemy—her past grudge with Yato had withered away, or at least to the extent where the two could be together without a homicide occurring—she was an ally. The indecisiveness within him was only trouble, for if Yato truly was in danger, Yukine could no longer hesitate.

Thus, everything spilled out of him. He tried to stay calm and collected, tried to maintain a sophisticated demeanor, but words came flowing shakily out of his mouth. When he finished, Yukine took a breath and let his shoulders droop. Bishamon stared at him in shock, that's what he got for talking faster than he could think, but soon the god's brows furrowed and her expression turned thoughtful, inquisitive.

"Missing? So it is unusual for him to disappear like this?" asked Bishamon, assessing the situation before jumping into panic mode. Her level-headedness calmed Yukine.

"Something feels off. Besides, Yato can feel me worrying, can't he?" replied Yukine. If Yato knew people were distressed over his disappearance, the god would come running back in an instant and indulge himself. He'd excitedly yell and boast about himself, about how being gone a mere three days launched his friends into a panic.

But Yato wasn't here, bringing Yukine back to the root of the problem.

"He's been kidnapped, then. That's the conclusion you've come to, correct?" asked Bishamon. Before Yukine could reply, Bishamon turned to the property's entrance, beckoning to someone that he couldn't see. Kazuma and Kuraha entered the estate and positioned themselves on either side of their master. They both had a focused look on their face, Yukine assumed they overheard the situation while waiting for Bishamon's return.

"Has there been any sighting of Yato recently?" she asked, turning to Kazuma. A grim look appeared on his face, and he shook his head.

"While we haven't exactly been keeping an eye out for him, I don't believe any report of seeing Yato has been made."

Bishamon rose her fingers to her lips, and stared at nowhere in particular with a pensive look. "No leads, huh?"

"Wait!" A voice broke through, and Yukine turned to see Hiyori. She had stepped forward from where she was standing, and her face suddenly turned red as silence broke out through Kofuku's yard. "Oh, um," she began, but her words trailed off.

"If you know something, please speak."

Hiyori gulped. "Well," she stuttered, "I've been able to find Yato before when he ran off, I guess I can kind of sense him." She stopped briefly, awkwardly rubbing her hands together with a spaced-out expression on her face. Then, she jerked her head up and locked eyes with Bishamon. "But! I haven't been able to sense anything."

Bishamon raised an eyebrow. "Is it a proximity issue?"

In a snap, Bishamon called for Kuraha to change into his other form. "Take Kuraha and see if you sense anything around the city. He'll get you around fast. We will meet up here later." She turned and gestured for Kazuma to follow her. "Kazuma and I will check with the other gods to see if they know anything. Yukine, you should go with Hiyori."

Yukine nodded and stood with Hiyori, watching as Kazuma and Bishamon walked away until they faded from sight. Then, he got on Kuraha after Hiyori and the three of them began their mission.

Everything hurt.

Everything hurt to such an extent that Yato would briefly feel no sensation at all, as if his body was getting used to the agony that pulsated through him. Breathing was a difficult task to do, and Yato had curled in on himself as if he was trying to keep his body from utterly falling apart as he cringed on the cold floor.

The floor, right. Aruko had freed him from the chair and Yato urged his worthless limbs to move, to do something for heaven's sake, but he had simply collapsed on the ground, and Aruko took his leave. The god might have said something, Yato couldn't recall if he did. All that existed to him was his anguish and the chills that shot through his spine. He didn't know if he was blighted anymore. Whether he was or not didn't matter, he supposed, his body was littered with untreated wounds.

Alone, Yato tried to calm his mind, and then tried to keep his mind going. He urged his mind to latch onto something, as if it would help keep him grounded, but he felt disconnected from everything.

 _They'll save you,_ he thought to himself, a saying that he had repeated at an earlier time. But, it felt empty. _Who is they?_ He wondered to himself. His mind felt jumbled—he was trying to put together puzzle pieces that were no longer tangible to him. _Who am I waiting for? Is anyone waiting for me?_

His eyes drifted towards the entrance as soon as the door opened, and made no reaction when he saw Aruko enter the room. That was his name, wasn't it?

The masked god stood at Yato's side, then crouched down to get closer to Yato's face. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, "You could have been an infamous god of calamity, and yet you'd rather die here? Just stop being stubborn and all of this will end."

Yato liked the sound of that. He doesn't exactly comprehend anything else that came out of the guy's mouth before, but he does want the pain to end. He attempted to tell Aruko this, but couldn't string the right words together so all that comes out is a mumble.

Hot pain flashes in his hand when he suddenly feels pressure slamming down on it—Aruko's heel was digging into it. "You'll need to be louder!" he hissed, and Yato cringed as pain flared throughout his hand. "Just forsake everyone else and become my partner! We could be legends, just cut the troublesome ties you have with everyone else!"

 _Ties?_ He wondered briefly, not quite understanding what Aruko meant. The word repeated in his head as he tried to make sense of it.

" _I don't want to cut ties with you!"_ cried a voice within his mind. He let the words echo in his mind for a brief moment, then realized that they sounded familiar. For some reason he is unsure of, he felt his chest constrict along with his throat as tears filled his eyes. An ache worse than his wounds settled within him and soon the numbness in his limbs disappeared.

"No," Yato croaked as he attempted to push himself off the ground. His arms were shaky and ultimately failed to lift the rest of his body up, Yato wincing as he fell to the concrete floor once again. "I can't. I promised someone."

His voice trails off, not knowing what else to say. His memory, being the jumbled mess it is, has no recollection of who this someone was, but the way he feels tells him it was someone important. It tells him there's more than just one person that is waiting for him.

Aruko scoffs. "You're dying, you ignorant creature! There's no one for you! We are miserable entities, get that through your moronic head! We bring calamity and nothing else!"

Yato considered Aruko's words, but if that were the truth, why can he remember feeling warmth?

Then, he remembered.

His hand snatched the collar of Aruko's yukata with all the strength he could muster, and Yato glared at the masked god. He recalled everyone's faces and mentally curses at himself for letting such an important thing slip his mind. "Shut the hell up already, there's people waiting for me and you're in my way."

* * *

 _Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been a bit busy with finals and whatnot, but here is chapter 5! We are near the end, yay! I like this fic a lot, but I've been obsessing over Poe Dameron ever since I saw the new Star Wars movie and I kind of want to write some stuff for him. I'm not saying I'm cutting this fic short, it's going just as planned so don't worry! Thank you for reading!_


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